Lessons from History

Gayle from Alaska left a comment that I thought deserved more than a short-answer response. So I thought I'd share it with you. Thanks for writing in and speaking your piece, Gayle.

Here's my take on it.

I live among many, many Native Americans and I tell you, I can't find a single one who wants to live like their ancestors.

I doubt any Euro-Americans would care much to live the way THEIR ancestors lived, either.

But Euro-American seem to want to keep their own cultural heritage alive, practice their own religion and such. Isn't that why they CALL themselves Italian-American, German-American, etc? Keeping a connection to their ancestors? Seems to be OK when white people do it.

When native people harken to their heritage, they're not talking about wanting to be frozen in time in the 1800's. They're talking about the same kind of connection to social custom and religious values, keeping alive what is good about the past and putting it to good use in the present to ensure a better future.

Long as you're not out to use that to do harm to anyone, I don't see anything wrong with it.

As a white Alaska who has lived here all my life (41 years) I watch the snot nose teenage native child get his money payments from the government and his free dental and his free medical and free land and free housing and free education while I do not have any of that. My children go without and so do I. The have all the best clothes and drive the best cars with large stickers that read "Native Pride". I have to sit and watch it all because if I drive a car that reads "White Pride" I will get shot.

I'll take you at your word regarding your perception and description of the situation in Alaska.

But I would ask you to consider that it would hardly be representative of the abysmal conditions of Native American people in the US, where they still survive.

Look into it a little, and you'll see what I mean. I've seen it some, myself. It's enough to break your heart.

Let me ask you this: if the government takes 60% of YOUR hard-earned money via taxes and filters back to you about 1% in the form of, say food stamps, or medical care, or education for your kids --- do you consider those things "free" from the government?

Or didn't you already pay for them?

If the Alaskan Native People were able to broker a better deal in exchange for the land and resources they gave up, then good for them.

Your anger at the privations experienced by you and your family should be directed at the US Gov, not at the Native People. Those folks already pre-paid for anything they're getting back from the Gov.

It's not the Native People who suck you dry with taxes and give you nothing back for it; it's not the Native People who steal from you to give billions of dollars in "bailout" gifts to corporate cronies; or send your children to kill and die in foreign wars so the Gov can net bigger profits for themselves and their pals; and it's not the Native People who tap your phone, or read your emails, or who will hit you with tear gas and tasers if you take it to the streets and demand "redress."

But, in any case, that's not really my point.

My point is this: It's irrefutable that of all the treaty agreements made between the US government and Native American nations, the US broke nearly every on of them.

Didn't just break them, but shattered them to pieces with the utmost treachery, not hesitating to murder on a massive scale, including even women and children.

And I'm not just talking about 1870.

I'm talking about 1970.

And I'm talking about 2009.

My point is that a government that will break a treaty and send troops to kill Indians in order to get gold out of the Black Hills; a government that will illegally send troops into Iraq in order to steal their oil, is a government not to be trusted.

The conduct of the US in relations with the Native Peoples is just one example.

It's not the ONLY example by any means.

I've probably said this, but I'll say it again. To have integrity, to be worthy of respect, to be trustworthy you have to do three things:

Tell the truth.

Keep your word.

Take responsibility your your actions.

The US government does not do ANY of these things, and I'll be damned if I can think of a time when it has.

I'm suggesting we look at history and let it be a warning to us.

A government that would murder Indians to get what it wants won't balk at murdering you or me to get what it wants, either.

What the Gov IS good at is "divide and conquer."

I think what we need to do is all get together so that NOBODY gets a raw deal, and EVERYbody enjoys the same liberty and any benefits deriving therefrom.

If we can do that, we MIGHT be able to have the kind of country we to claim to want in all those patriotic songs we like to sing.

Liberty and Justice,

sj